Sophia Forero
Encyclopedia
Sophia Forero is a jewelry designer. She creates jewelry with colors and textures inspired by her study of international cultures, including Tuareg culture and Byzantine art
.
Educated at the University of Illinois
for her undergraduate degree and then at the University of Chicago
for her Master's, Sophia Forero lived in Eastern Europe working for the US Peace Corps
as a teacher. She first became interested in designing jewelry while writing her masters thesis on indigenous cultures of Sub-Saharan Africa. While in the Peace Corps in Hungary, she visited bead factories and gathered materials from all over Europe, the former Soviet Union, and the Balkans.
In 2002, Sophia won Marshall Field’s Distinction in Design award, coming in first place over hundreds of designers. Sophia’s pieces have since been featured in such publications as Women’s Wear Daily, Lucky
, the New York Times, Chicago Tribune
, the Chicago Sun-Times
, and Chicago Social. She has appeared on WLS morning broadcast and her work has been on various television spots including CNN
and Chicago’s 190 North.
In 2007, Sophia introduced her signature mosaic pendant. An hommage to Byzantine icons and pointillism
, Sophia and her team hand sew faceted beads and then set them in sterling or gold to create a brand new idea in jewelry.
In 2008, Sophia added a green line of recycled aluminum and leather cuffs designed by her husband, installation artist Mauricio Forero. The cuffs are sold in stores in Miami, New York's Soho, Chicago, and Los Angeles.
Sold in over 300 stores, her jewels are in Macy's, Bloomingdale's, and Oilily.
Sophia’s pieces have been worn by several celebrities, including Sarah Jessica Parker
, Nia Vardalos
and Caroline Rhea
.
Sophia lives and works in Illinois
with her husband and four children.
Byzantine art
Byzantine art is the term commonly used to describe the artistic products of the Byzantine Empire from about the 5th century until the Fall of Constantinople in 1453....
.
Educated at the University of Illinois
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
for her undergraduate degree and then at the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
for her Master's, Sophia Forero lived in Eastern Europe working for the US Peace Corps
Peace Corps
The Peace Corps is an American volunteer program run by the United States Government, as well as a government agency of the same name. The mission of the Peace Corps includes three goals: providing technical assistance, helping people outside the United States to understand US culture, and helping...
as a teacher. She first became interested in designing jewelry while writing her masters thesis on indigenous cultures of Sub-Saharan Africa. While in the Peace Corps in Hungary, she visited bead factories and gathered materials from all over Europe, the former Soviet Union, and the Balkans.
In 2002, Sophia won Marshall Field’s Distinction in Design award, coming in first place over hundreds of designers. Sophia’s pieces have since been featured in such publications as Women’s Wear Daily, Lucky
Lucky (magazine)
Lucky is a shopping and style magazine which calls itself the " Ultimate Shopping Guide " and " The Magazine About Shopping ." Lucky "showcases what to wear and how to wear it, making fashion and beauty fun and accessible." Available by subscription, issues are published once a month and offer...
, the New York Times, Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
, the Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
, and Chicago Social. She has appeared on WLS morning broadcast and her work has been on various television spots including CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
and Chicago’s 190 North.
In 2007, Sophia introduced her signature mosaic pendant. An hommage to Byzantine icons and pointillism
Pointillism
Pointillism is a technique of painting in which small, distinct dots of pure color are applied in patterns to form an image. Georges Seurat developed the technique in 1886, branching from Impressionism. The term Pointillism was first coined by art critics in the late 1880s to ridicule the works...
, Sophia and her team hand sew faceted beads and then set them in sterling or gold to create a brand new idea in jewelry.
In 2008, Sophia added a green line of recycled aluminum and leather cuffs designed by her husband, installation artist Mauricio Forero. The cuffs are sold in stores in Miami, New York's Soho, Chicago, and Los Angeles.
Sold in over 300 stores, her jewels are in Macy's, Bloomingdale's, and Oilily.
Sophia’s pieces have been worn by several celebrities, including Sarah Jessica Parker
Sarah Jessica Parker
Sarah Jessica Parker is an American film, television, and theater actress and producer.She is best known for her leading role as Carrie Bradshaw on the HBO television series Sex and the City , for which she won four Golden Globe Awards, three Screen Actors Guild Awards, and two Emmy Awards...
, Nia Vardalos
Nia Vardalos
Antonia Eugenia "Nia" Vardalos is a Canadian-American actress, screenwriter, director, singer and producer. Her most notable work is the 2002 Academy Award–nominated film My Big Fat Greek Wedding.-Personal life:...
and Caroline Rhea
Caroline Rhea
Caroline Gilchrist Rhea is a Canadian stand-up comedian and actress who was the original host of the reality television show The Biggest Loser on NBC until she was replaced by Alison Sweeney after the end of the third season...
.
Sophia lives and works in Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
with her husband and four children.